Citroen C5 Aircross To Be French Company’s First Car in Indian Market

After a lot of waiting, French giant Citroen displayed their C5 Aircross for the Indian market. C5 Aircross will be the company’s first car in India and will lock horns with the likes of Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass in the compact SUV segment. French parent company PSA Group decided to pick their Citroen brand over the more famous Peugeot in India. The upcoming crossover SUV will be made in PSA’s Tamil Nadu plant and the company aims at using nearly 70 percent of local parts to make the C5 Aircross in order to keep the prices under check. The upcoming C5 Aircross is already on sale in the international market although the model that will be brought to India will be different than the global model. As far as the launch is concerned, the crossover SUV will be launched in India next year.

In a grand event held in Chennai the French company also talked about the plans of the company in India. Rather than going for the premium target, the company will aim at moving more units in India and enter the mass market segment with all gusto. Although Citroen will maintain its identity of the maker of comfortable and stylish looking cars, and will not go for a brand reinvention in India. The French company already owns a plant in Tamil Nadu and aims to launch one car every year for the upcoming three years. As far as manufacture is concerned the brand is planning to localize the production of their cars to the extent of 98%.

Talking at the unveil of C5 Aircross in Chennai, CEO of Citroen Group Linda Jackson said:

"We are launching the C5 Aircross because we want to build image and awareness. So, it is the brand image builder and it embodies everything about the positioning with high-end features. If you look at any market across the globe, one of the big growth segments are SUV's. So, without telling what it is going to be, it is fair to say that if we are going to look at real opportunity to match volume and profit to have sustainable business growth then it is going to be around that type of vehicles. In India, we will be inspired by the Indians... we will develop highly localized cars to meet customer expectations.”

The upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross will be made on PSA’s EMP2 platform and will come with a very futuristic design as far as the Indian market is concerned. The company will remove some features from the global variant in order to make the car more practical and affordable for the Indian market. As far as features are concerned, the global version of C5 Aircross comes with features such as panoramic sunroof, LED headlamps, wireless phone charging, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, emergency assistance and a hydraulic suspension system. The car is also offered in global markets with an all-wheel drive system, although it may not make its way to India. Talking of the engine, the company will offer C5 Aircross with both petrol and diesel options in the Indian market.

The upcoming C5 Aircross will lock horns with Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV500, Tata Harrier, and upcoming MG Hector in India. The French company will shortly begin talks with interested dealers to open showrooms across the country. Citroen plans to bring interactive and connected dealerships in the country in order to receive continuous feedback from the customers and improve services all over.